is nothing sacred?

There has been a bit of buzz recently surrounding the Swiss water bottle manufacturer, SIGG, and their decision to change the epoxy lining in their bottles last summer. The "improvement" came with little (or no) fanfare, and it seems that there is a very good reason why.

For years, there have been rumours surrounding the lining in their aluminum* bottles. Consumer groups have suspected that the epoxy coating contained bisphenol-A , but were unable to prove it. Finally, in this letter from the CEO, SIGG has admitted that the lining did, in fact, contain the hormone-altering BPA.

Understandably, the public feels outrage and betrayal about the situation. SIGG bottles have been specifically marketed as an alternative to BPA-leaching plastic bottles. Consumers have been paying a premium for this product with the understanding that they were making a safer, healthier choice by choosing the higher-priced bottles over potentially dangerous plastics. It seems now, though, that the alternative was possibly just as bad. (While SIGG is admitting to the presence of BPA in the liners, they are maintaining that the liners did not leach BPA. Hmm.)

This is by no means a simple issue; SIGG is going to have an uphill battle on their hands as they try to recover from this PR nightmare. In the meantime, though, current owners of the “old” SIGG bottles can (apparently) swap them out for the new-style, BPA-free bottles.The first step is identifying which you have. If your bottle was purchased before August 2008, then it is definitely an old one. After that date, there is a still a chance a chance that your bottle has the BPA-containing liner. (Items can remain in warehouses and on store shelves for months.) The best way to check which version you have is to peek inside. The new “safe” liners are a dull beige; the old-style liner is “brassy” in appearance. If you determine that you, in fact, have a pre-Aug ’08 bottle, you should contact your local retailer for details on swapping it out for a new one.


*aluminum bottles must be lined to prevent contact between the metal and the liquid; stainless steel bottles do not require a liner. I am not advocating one over the other, but I will say that my own bottle is stainless steel. ;-)